Reviewed by Jonathan Teplitsky · Updated July 2026
Navy ranks and rates in order (lowest to highest)
The Navy uses two related but distinct terms: rank generally refers to officer titles, while rate is the Navy-specific term for an enlisted sailor's pay-grade title combined with their job specialty (their “rating”) — see the full Navy rates list for every active enlisted specialty. This page covers both tracks: 9 enlisted grades, warrant officers, and 10 commissioned officer grades.
Enlisted rates (E-1–E-9)
| Grade | Rate | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| E-1 | Seaman Recruit | SR |
| E-2 | Seaman Apprentice | SA |
| E-3 | Seaman | SN |
| E-4 | Petty Officer Third Class | PO3 |
| E-5 | Petty Officer Second Class | PO2 |
| E-6 | Petty Officer First Class | PO1 |
| E-7 | Chief Petty Officer | CPO |
| E-8 | Senior Chief Petty Officer | SCPO |
| E-9 | Master Chief Petty Officer | MCPO |
E-4 and above combine the rate (Petty Officer Third/Second/First Class) with a specific rating — the sailor's job specialty, such as Machinist's Mate, Electronics Technician, or Corpsman — so a full title reads like “Machinist's Mate Second Class (MM2).” E-7 through E-9 mark a major authority shift: Chiefs, Senior Chiefs, and Master Chiefs have their own “Chiefs' Mess,” distinct khaki uniforms, and significantly more command influence than junior enlisted sailors. The single senior-most enlisted sailor, the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON), advises the Chief of Naval Operations.
Warrant officer ranks (CWO2–CWO5)
The Navy's warrant officer track runs Chief Warrant Officer 2 through 5 — there is no WO1 grade. Navy warrant officers are technical specialists, typically senior Chiefs who move into a warrant billet after years of enlisted experience in their field.
Officer ranks (O-1–O-10)
| Grade | Rank | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| O-1 | Ensign | ENS |
| O-2 | Lieutenant Junior Grade | LTJG |
| O-3 | Lieutenant | LT |
| O-4 | Lieutenant Commander | LCDR |
| O-5 | Commander | CDR |
| O-6 | Captain | CAPT |
| O-7 | Rear Admiral (Lower Half) | RDML |
| O-8 | Rear Admiral (Upper Half) | RADM |
| O-9 | Vice Admiral | VADM |
| O-10 | Admiral | ADM |
Four-star Admiral (O-10) is the highest rank normally held. The five-star wartime rank Fleet Admiral was last held by four officers during World War II and is not part of the Navy's standing rank structure.
How rank ties to pay
Pay grade and years of service — not the rate or rank title — set your monthly base pay. See the Navy pay chart for exact base pay by grade and time in service, or the cross-branch military pay calculator to estimate total compensation including allowances.
Other branch rank charts
See how the Navy's rank and rate structure compares to the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard (which uses similar "rate" terminology).
Sources
Frequently asked questions about Navy ranks and rates
What are the Navy ranks in order? Seaman Recruit through Master Chief Petty Officer (enlisted), then Ensign through Admiral (officer).
Rank vs. rate? Rank is generally an officer term; rate is the enlisted pay-grade title combined with a sailor's job specialty (rating).
Highest Navy rank? Admiral (O-10), four stars. Fleet Admiral (5 stars) hasn't been used since WWII.
What is a Chief Petty Officer? E-7, the first of three senior enlisted rates with distinct authority and uniforms.
How to identify Navy ranks by insignia
Junior enlisted sailors (E-1 to E-3) wear no rank insignia at all — a plain uniform is itself a signal of rank, with diagonal stripes added on the left sleeve starting at E-2.
From E-4 through E-9, enlisted sailors wear a rating badge on the left sleeve: an eagle (nicknamed the “crow”) perched above a set of chevrons, with a specialty mark for their rating underneath. Petty Officers Third, Second, and First Class (E-4–E-6) show one, two, and three chevrons respectively. Chief Petty Officers (E-7–E-9) trade the chevron badge for a fouled-anchor collar device stamped “USN” — Senior Chiefs add one star above the anchor, and Master Chiefs add two.
Commissioned officers (O-1–O-10) wear insignia on collar points or shoulder boards instead of sleeves. Company-grade officers wear bars: a single gold bar for Ensign (O-1), a silver bar for Lieutenant Junior Grade (O-2), and two silver bars for Lieutenant (O-3). Field-grade officers move to leaves: a gold oak leaf for Lieutenant Commander (O-4), a silver oak leaf for Commander (O-5). Captain (O-6) wears a silver eagle — the same device as an Army or Air Force Colonel. Admirals (O-7–O-10) wear one to four silver stars, adding one star per grade up through the Admiral's four stars.
Exact placement (collar, shoulder board, or sleeve) shifts by uniform type — service dress blues versus working uniforms — but the bar-leaf-eagle-star sequence for officers, and the chevron-to-anchor progression for enlisted sailors, stays consistent across all of them. See Navy.com’s rank structure page for official insignia diagrams.